The world is full of unspoken rules — those points of etiquette that infiltrate every little detail of life that often we don't give a second though to. Elevator etiquette, underground etiquette, dinner party etiquette. Heck, the world of work is littered with unspoken rules.
Most have emerged over time, and it's pretty clear what the rules of engagement are. But one area where these rules are less well defined is the mysterious world of email.
Think about it for a moment. Think about the extent to which it dominates your life, and now think about how long it's held that status. Email has gone from 0-60 in the last ten years, 15 at a stretch. In the big scheme of things, that is no time at all. And yet during that time, there has been precious little guidance on how to use email properly, respectfully, usefully. There is no Debrett's for email. But maybe there should be. My experience has been that there is quite a difference in the 'norms' that people have set themselves when communicating on email — some of which enhance their relationship, and some of which undermine it. So what are the unspoken rules of email? Try a few of these on for size:
Be über-thoughtful in your choice of words. Words take on greater meaning when separated from their buddies: tone of voice, eye contact, and body language; their meaning emphasised, and as a result the opportunity for misinterpretation magnified. So be thoughtful of the words that you choose, and consider how you could create confusion, antagonism, or misinterpretation before you hit Send.
THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOUT! Possibly the only etiquette of email that is accepted is that typing in capitals is the equivalent to shouting. Caps should never feature in an email — italics are a much more impactful and sophisticated way of making your point.
Avoid bcc. Mmmm, the much misunderstood bcc. Why would you bcc anyone unless there was something fishy going on? The only person it's good form to bcc is yourself, or a distribution list to protect privacy. If someone else needs to see it, then bcc to yourself and sent it on with an additional comment. Much more professional.
If you wouldn't want your mother to read it, don't write it. This one speaks for itself. There's the famous story of the government official who described 9/11 as "a good day to bury bad news". Needless to say, she wasn't in the job for long after that boo-boo was splashed all over the dailies. A career ending seven words. Don't commit anything to email that you wouldn't want shared publicly.
Find a personal sign off. Regards? Yawn. Dull. Express your personality by finding a way to sign off your email with a personal word or comment that celebrates your personality. In a medium that removes a lot of the opportunity for personal expression by reducing your communication to words on a screen, snatch back the opportunity to express your personal style. Business can be dull. But that doesn't mean that you have to be!
David Thompson is the author of The Magic BlackBerry, published by Marshall Cavendish (magicblackberry.co.uk), and runs the boutique people and organisation consultancy Beyond the Dots (beyondthedots.com).
BUY IT HERE: The Magic Blackberry: How to upgrade your relationships at work: a personal leadership fable
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